Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Kalanchoe blossfeldiana cultivar Forever Maxi Bright Red.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Kalanchoe plant, botanically known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Forever Maxi Bright Redxe2x80x99.
The new Kalanchoe is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Ashtabula, Ohio. The objective of the breeding program was to create new freely-branching and freely-flowering Kalanchoe cultivars with attractive leaf and flower coloration.
The new Kalanchoe originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in November, 1997 of a proprietary selection of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana identified as code number 96-379-1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana identified as code number 95-153-8, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Forever Maxi Bright Red was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Ashtabula, Ohio.
Asexual reproduction of the new Kalanchoe by terminal vegetative cuttings taken at Ashtabula, Ohio, since October, 1998, has shown that the unique features of this new Kalanchoe are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Forever Maxi Bright Red has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Forever Maxi Bright Redxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Forever Maxi Bright Redxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright, uniform and dense plant habit.
2. Freely branching growth habit.
3. Numerous large bright red-colored flowers.
4. Dark green-colored leaves.
5. Excellent postproduction longevity.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe differ from plants of the parent selections primarily in plant habit and flower color.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can be compared to plants of the Kalanchoe cultivar Forever Maxi Red, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,394. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Lompoc, Calif., plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Forever Maxi Red in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had slightly smaller leaves than plants of the cultivar Forever Maxi Red.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had solid dark green-colored leaves whereas plants of the cultivar Forever Maxi Red had dark green-colored leaves with reddish margins.
3. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was brighter red than flower color of plants of the cultivar Forever Maxi Red.
Plants of the new Kalanchoe can also be compared to plants of the Kalanchoe cultivar Tenorio, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,617. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Lompoc, Calif., plants of the new Kalanchoe differed from plants of the cultivar Tenorio in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more compact than plants of the cultivar Tenorio.
2. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were denser than and not as open in plant form as plants of the cultivar Tenorio.
3. Plants of the new Kalanchoe had darker green-colored lateral branches than plants of the cultivar Tenorio.
4. Plants of the new Kalanchoe were more freely flowering and had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Tenorio.
5. Flower color of plants of the new Kalanchoe was brighter red than flower color of plants of the cultivar Tenorio.
6. Plants of the new Kalanchoe flowered about three to four days earlier than plants of the cultivar Tenorio.